DNA evidence freed man in jail for 20 years for rape
 

BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- Police used DNA evidence to arrest a man on rape charges after DNA testing exonerated another man who served two decades in prison for the crime.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast....ap/index.html

Webster's lawyers said he wasn't entitled to compensation from the state for his time in prison, and he has no family, job or home.

Feel sorry for the dude...now he's going to get a shit load in compensation....

I've actually heard a few stories like this... apparently in the last 5 years 80% of the murder and rape cases (from 10 or more years ago) that have been overturned have been because of DNA matching, or rather mis-matching.

It's good this technology is freeing innoccent convicts.. but its scary to think how many innoccent people are still in jail

and how many criminals are still free.

Mmmm, better jail than Old Sparky.:Graucho

i don't understand why he isn't entitled to compensation!!

Because you'll have to pay for it. And every other person this happens to.

You still want him to get compensation?

Because our government and the law keepers answer to no one.

This is the system people wanted, right?

Keep in mind there's also a double edge, once a person has been proven innocent of a crime, he cant be re-tried for that crime. EVEN, if there is substantial evidence, proving otherwise after the fact.

I love the loopholes in the system.

So? Better one free criminal than one innocent in jail.
And this sort of stuff ofcourse make capital punishment a truly great idea ;)

i don't live in maryland. let the state pay for it. or let the teacher who said it was him pay for it.

What you are talking about is double jeopardy ... and it's a fundamental right under the law. That keeps the government from continually retrying someone until they get a conviction, at least on the same charge. Those folks that think we have too many rights are fond of calling it a loophole. Not how I see it...

Vote with a bullet.

:glugglug

I think you mean once someone is "found" innocent. If he is actually "proven" innocent, then by the meaning of the terminology, he would BE innocent.

Hence the movie Double Jeopardy!

Yeah, really. I watch shows on TV where people have be re-tried once they have been found innocent (not proven innocent) because of new information. One example: Some dude's wife fell down the stairs and bonked her head and killed herself. The guy was found innocent as it was an accident. Within a year, the guy has a new wife, and the community is upset (which is stupid of the guy to do, but it doesnt make him a criminal), so then the people at the scene of the crime all of a sudden remember more blood stains than before that show it was a murder. The remember the phone calls at a different time, giving the guy extra time to have commited the murder. The guy is convicted. 5 years later, the case is reopened, and he is found innocent after it is shown exactly how she hit her head in the accident. The people making shit up should have to pay, since it is also proven that they made up evidence to put this guy in jail.